One of the most common pieces of equipment for both household and work use is the ladder. There exist many different ladders and ladder accessories which offer certain types of adjustability to increase the usability and to address diverse situations. There also exist many different types of locking mechanisms which are used to keep a ladder in the adjusted position, whatever they may be. Most locking mechanisms are designed to be manually activated and manually deactivated. A locking mechanism capable of self-locking at a locking point is typically spring loaded and is manually prepared to lock at a point. U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,521 discloses a ladder leveling device which is easy to operate. However, this ladder leveling device also requires that the user unlock bracket assemblies in order to allow the stabilizing arcuate member to be properly positioned so as to level the ladder, and then subsequently manually lock the locking brackets in place.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for ladders which can be stabilized in a level manner on uneven surfaces. There is also a continuing need for a locking mechanism that is automatic and self-engaging and disengaging in nature so as not to require manual manipulation. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other advantages. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for a self-engaging and self-disengaging lock for use in conjunction with a ladder leveling device.